Comparing diagnostic yield of a novel pan-enteric video capsule endoscope with ileocolonoscopy in patients with active Crohn's disease: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Crohn's disease (CD) is typically diagnosed with ileocolonoscopy (IC); however, when inflammation is localized solely in the small bowel, visualization of the entire small-bowel mucosa can be challenging. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic yield of a pan-enteric video capsule endoscope (small-bowel colon [SBC] capsule) versus IC in patients with active CD. METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter study. Patients with known active CD and proven bowel luminal patency underwent a standardized colon cleansing protocol followed by ingestion of the capsule. After passage of the capsule, IC was performed and recorded. Lesions indicative of active CD were assessed. RESULTS: One hundred fourteen subjects were screened; 66 subjects completed both endoscopic procedures. The per-subject diagnostic yield rate for active CD lesions was 83.3% for SBC and 69.7% for IC (yield difference, 13.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6%-24.7%); 65% of subjects had active CD lesions identified by both modalities. Of the 12 subjects who were positive for active CD by SBC only, 5 subjects were found to have active CD lesions in the terminal ileum. Three subjects were positive for active CD by IC only. Three hundred fifty-five classifying bowel segments were analyzed; the per-segment diagnostic yield rate was 40.6% for SBC and 32.7% for IC (yield difference 7.9%; 95% CI, 3.3%-12.4%). CONCLUSION: This preliminary study shows that the diagnostic yields for SBC might be higher than IC; however, the magnitude of difference between the two is difficult to estimate. Further study is needed to confirm these findings.

Risk Factors for Rescue Therapy in Crohn's Patients Maintained on Infliximab After Withdrawal of the Immunomodulator: A Long-Term Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: Usefulness of thiopurine and scheduled infliximab combination therapy in non-immunomodulator (IM)-naïve Crohn's disease (CD) patients and the optimal length of dual therapy are still debated. AIMS: To determine proportion of patients developing disease flare requiring rescue therapy and risk factors associated with disease flare after de-escalation of IM from combination therapy. METHODS: Adult CD patients in clinical remission on combination therapy were identified from a large single-center database between 2002 and 2009. Patients who had their IM stopped in the absence of adverse events were included. Association between clinical and demographic variables and time until rescue therapy was analyzed using Cox-proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Forty-three CD patients on combination therapy in clinical remission at time of IM de-escalation were identified and followed up for a median duration of 61.6 months (range 5.4-129.5). Median duration of remission on combination therapy prior to IM de-escalation was 12.0 months (range 4-74). Thirty-one patients (72.1%) required rescue therapy during follow-up. On multivariable analysis, age at diagnosis < 16 years versus > 40 years (HR 4.55, 95% CI 1.18-17.62, p = 0.028), using methotrexate instead of azathioprine in combination with infliximab (HR 3.37, 95% CI 1.14, 9.96, p = 0.028), and duration of combination therapy < 6 months (HR 5.68, 95% CI 1.58, 20.36, p = 0.007) increased risk for rescue therapy. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of CD patients on combination therapy experienced a flare following IM withdrawal. Young age at diagnosis, short duration of combination therapy, and methotrexate use were independent predictors of the need for rescue therapy.

Narrow-band imaging versus white light for the detection of proximal colon serrated lesions: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The value of narrow-band imaging (NBI) for detecting serrated lesions is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To assess NBI for the detection of proximal colon serrated lesions. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Two academic hospital outpatient units. PATIENTS: Eight hundred outpatients 50 years of age and older with intact colons undergoing routine screening, surveillance, or diagnostic examinations. INTERVENTIONS: Randomization to colon inspection in NBI versus white-light colonoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The number of serrated lesions (sessile serrated polyps plus hyperplastic polyps) proximal to the sigmoid colon. RESULTS: The mean inspection times for the whole colon and proximal colon were the same for the NBI and white-light groups. There were 204 proximal colon lesions in the NBI group and 158 in the white light group (P = .085). Detection of conventional adenomas was comparable in the 2 groups. LIMITATIONS: Lack of blinding, endoscopic estimation of polyp location. CONCLUSION: NBI may increase the detection of proximal colon serrated lesions, but the result in this trial did not reach significance. Additional study of this issue is warranted. ( CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01572428.).

Incidence and risk factors for lymphoma in a single-center inflammatory bowel disease population.

AIMS: Previous studies on the risk of lymphoma in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have yielded conflicting results. We aim to determine the incidence and risk factors for lymphoma in a large IBD population. METHODS: Patients with lymphoma were identified from a single-center IBD database. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of lymphoma was estimated using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry. Risk factors for lymphoma were determined by comparing cases with a matched IBD control group. RESULTS: Eleven lymphomas were identified among 3,585 IBD patients during an average of 8.4 years of observation. Three patients were excluded. In the remaining eight, median age at diagnosis was 47 years and mean IBD duration was 20 years (range 7.5-45 years). The SIR for lymphoma was 1.6 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-3.0], and for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), 1.5 (0.3-2.8). Three lymphoma patients (38%) received prior immunomodulators and two (25%) received biologics, versus 57% and 39% in the control group, respectively (P = 0.4). No correlation was seen with tobacco exposure, disease duration, use, or dose or duration of immunosuppressive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this IBD cohort, risk of lymphoma was not increased compared with the general population. Risk of lymphoma was not associated with any demographic or therapy-related factors.

Predictors of depth of maximal insertion at double-balloon enteroscopy.

The aim of this study was to determine the factors predictive of the depth of maximal insertion (DMI) at double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE). Eligible patients from the DBE database at our institution were stratified based on their anterograde or retrograde approach. The factors predictive of the DMI were calculated using ANOVA, Spearman, univariate, and multivariate regression analysis. A total of 79 patients had 98 procedures, 67 anterograde and 31 retrograde. Fifty-eight (73%) had previous abdominal surgeries. The average anterograde DMI was 187.5 cm, retrograde 116.5 cm. In univariate regression analysis, a history of abdominal surgery and surgery excluding appendectomy were negative predictors of the DMI for both the anterograde and retrograde approaches (P < 0.05). A history of bowel surgery and number of surgeries were negative predictive factors only for the anterograde approach (P < 0.005). In multivariate analysis, the number of abdominal surgeries (anterograde) and any abdominal surgery (retrograde) were predictors of the DMI (P = 0.02 and P = 0.003, respectively). Patients with three or more surgeries had a significantly lower DMI than those with

Medical management of Crohn's disease: a guide for radiologists.

The choice of therapies for Crohn's disease has expanded greatly over the past 30 years. Increasingly it is important that we attempt to identify subgroups of patients who will benefit most from each type of therapy. This article reviews the therapeutic options currently available, organized by the goal the practitioner hopes to achieve. Imaging is one critical way of aiding the classification of Crohn's disease by attempting to accurately determine the location, extent and, most importantly, the nature of the disease.

Positive predictive value of endoscopic features deemed typical of gastric fundic gland polyps.

BACKGROUND: Fundic gland polyps (FGPs) are now the most common gastric polyp encountered by endoscopists. However, they have minimal clinical significance. If they could be reliably predicted by endoscopic features, it might prevent the need for and cost of biopsy. GOALS: To determine the positive predictive value of endoscopic criteria deemed characteristic of FGPs. STUDY: We prospectively identified 56 consecutive patients with one or more gastric polyps deemed typical of FGPs by endoscopic criteria and submitted them for histologic analysis. Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis were excluded. RESULTS: Histologic examination confirmed that 50 (89.3%) of the 56 polyps were FGPs. Of the six polyps incorrectly predicted to be FGPs, three were determined to be of normal gastric body-type mucosa, one was uninterpretable secondary to squeeze artifact, one was a lymphoid aggregate with mucosal edema, and one was polypoid regenerative mucosa in the setting of chronic active gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS: As sporadic FGPs are common and can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy based on endoscopic evaluation, it may not be necessary to submit them for pathologic examination. This practice would result in cost savings.

Wide angle colonoscopy with a prototype instrument: impact on miss rates and efficiency as determined by back-to-back colonoscopies.

OBJECTIVE: Polyps are missed during conventional colonoscopy, even with meticulous technique. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a prototype wide angle colonoscope is associated with a reduced miss rate for polyps. METHODS: Two studies were performed. In study 1, a total of 50 patients underwent back-to-back, same-day colonoscopy by a single examiner with the prototype wide angle colonoscope and with a standard colonoscope, with the order of scopes randomized. In study 1, an attempt was made to keep examination time with the two colonoscopes equal. In study 2, a total of 20 patients were examined, 10 by the same colonoscopist who performed study 1 and 10 by a second colonoscopist. In study 2, examiners tried to perform the examinations as quickly as accuracy would allow. RESULTS: In study 1, the miss rate for all polyps was lower with the wide angle colonoscope (20% vs 31%; p = 0.046), although the mean examination time with the wide angle instrument was shorter (6.75 min vs 7.64 min; p = 0.0005). There was no significant difference in detection of adenomas. Polyps, including adenomas, were missed in the peripheral endoscopic field more frequently with the standard colonoscope. In study 2, wide angle colonoscopy was associated with reductions in examination time of 25% and 30% for the two examiners, respectively. Miss rates were the same for one colonoscopist but were higher for the other colonoscopist when the wide angle instrument was used. CONCLUSION: A prototype wide angle colonoscope did not eliminate polyp miss rates. Wide angle colonoscopy has the potential to reduce examination time and improve visualization of the periphery of the endoscopic field of view, but improvements in resolution are needed.

Screening for Barrett's esophagus in colonoscopy patients with and without heartburn.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The population prevalence of Barrett's esophagus (BE) is uncertain. Our aim was to describe the prevalence of BE in a volunteer population. METHODS: Upper endoscopy (EGD) was performed in 961 persons with no prior history of EGD who were scheduled for colonoscopy. Symptom questionnaires were completed prior to endoscopy. Biopsy specimens were taken from the gastric cardia and any columnar mucosa extending > or =5 mm into the tubular esophagus and from the stomach for H. pylori infection in the last 812 patients. RESULTS: The study sample was biased toward persons undergoing colonoscopy, males, and persons with upper GI symptoms. The prevalence of BE was 65 of 961 (6.8%) patients, including 12 (1.2%) with long-segment BE (LSBE). Among 556 subjects who had never had heartburn, the prevalences of BE and LSBE were 5.6% and 0.36%, respectively. Among 384 subjects with a history of any heartburn, the prevalences of BE and LSBE were 8.3% and 2.6%, respectively. In a univariate analysis, LSBE was more common in those with any heartburn vs. those with no heartburn (P = 0.01), but the sample size was insufficient to allow multivariate analysis of predictors of LSBE. In a multivariate analysis, BE was associated with increasing age (P = 0.02), white race (P = 0.03), and negative H. pylori status (P = 0.04). Overall, BE was not associated with heartburn, although heartburn was more common in persons with LSBE or circumferential short segments. CONCLUSIONS: LSBE is very uncommon in patients who have no history of heartburn. SSBE is relatively common in persons age > or =40 years with no prior endoscopy, irrespective of heartburn history.